The origin of action

"Action may not bring happiness but there is no happiness without action." ~ William James

Just because it was said doesn't make it so. Especially if it was said back in the 1800's! When we allow words to direct our decisions, are we taking the easy path by following someone else's advice or actually setting ourselves up for failure? The problem is not the advice, but rather when that advice is applied.

Sometimes, inaction is better. Not taking action is an act in patience and discipline. Some of the most stoic people I know are rocks when the less timid act (or react).

Let's look at some examples:

  1. An opportunity shows up in my inbox. I'm predisposed to act and respond without considering the ramifications of saying yes to the opportunity. Saying yes negavitely impacts what I'm already workign on (and committed to). Saying no (or simply not responding) might be in the best interest of a conflicting priority.
  2. I'm looking up something online, and before I know I'm watching a tutorial and derailed from the task at hand.
  3. I wake up at 3am. I begin to ruminate over what I need to do. I get up. 12 hours later, I'm toast. The additional work often creates additional work! I feel like hamster on a wheel of never ending todos. I get up because I feel that I need mark of some incompletions.

    "The objective of education isn't knowledge; it's action" ~ Thomas Kempis

    Press Start

    Thinking of walking into a room is not the same as actually walking into a room. We hesitate because action leads to gain or loss. What spawns us to take action? If we fear taking action leads to loss, we won't do it. If we fear lack of action leads to loss, we're more likely to do it. Take an example of a lifelong smoker. Until death is apparent and their doctor gives them the dreaded "Stop now or you will die soon," they'll keep on smoking. Smokers might avoid going to the doctor altogether to avoid the ultimatum altogether. What's the payout of staying alive? Is what you are living for stronger than the desire to smoke? The consensus among many life mastery experts is that inertia is the secret to taking action. No matter how small, just start. What's scheduled is what gets done. If you work for yourself or run a business, you'll need to generate income. Passive income is great, but the effort to start the passive income drip can be massive. At the end of the day, every action is a risk. What really drives you? I know that staying self employed requires I keep enough money in my bank account to pay all my bills. Once I reach a low water mark (less than 3 months buffer), I start to feel the pressure to act. But here's the kicker. When my bank account is high, I'm less driven to act in the way I do when my bank account is low. It's revealed in my ability to earn an income. As long as there is money in the bank account to cover the bills, there isn't a fear of financial hardship. It's not until then 'low water mark' is reached that I am driven to act and drum up business. It's time to move the low water mark up.

    Consequences and priorities

    Which books do I read? The ones that are due back to the library. There is a deadline and their are consequences for missing that deadline (a late fee). Deadlines without consequences will never take priority over those with consequences. The more painful the consequence, the more likely they are to spawn action. Had I known that by NOT replacing my hard drive, I was increasing the chances of a catastrophic failure, I'd surely have taken action before it was too late. Had I known someone else was working on my idea, I surely would have made it a higher priority.

    Disruptive Action

    The ability to take committed and effective action in the presence of disruptive thoughts that would stop us from taking action. If our choices favor the short-term, yet negatively impacts the long-term, we are not thinking like an investor. Investors consider the long-term ramifications of a decision. I developed the 2x4 question. How will this decision impact me in 2 days, 2 weeks, 2 months, and 2 years from now? When needed, use a 2x6. Add 2 minutes and 2 hours from now. Or go real long and use a 2x8, add 2 decades (20 years) and 2 centuries. Investors place higher weight on the future value of decision. How our lives unfold is a direct result of cause and effect. Your mere existence was the result of an act of love on behalf of your parents.
    The only thing that limits who we become are the actions we take. Since every action has a reaction, the results we get are defined by our ability to start. Every action has a start. Focus on the steps not the destination. Do what you can in that moment. Just start. In a world flooded with more data than ever before, too often we get caught up in paralysis by analysis.
    I was inspired by Danica Patrick. She is living proof of the 3 phases of inertia in action: